This is one of those games where if you weren't a fan of either team you'd describe it as a great game. Which doesn't really explain the hole in the wall in my living room right now, but that's ok - because at this point, with the A's officially on pace to lose 100 games, their best rebuilding plan might be to avoid winning games...Hey, I think we finally stumbled on the one thing the 2009 A's are good at.
Jack Cust, Jason Giambi (#400 career), Adam Kennedy, and Nomar Garciaparra all took Haren deep for a total of 5 runs, while Edgar Gonzalez pitched well (1 run) but not deep (5+ innings) - and the "not deep" proved to be a big factor, because while the A's took a 5-1 lead into the 8th, they also needed to find relievers for 4 innings and that led to Russ Springer starting the 8th. Three line drives later the bases were loaded with nobody out, and by the time Andrew Bailey remembered how to dominate 4 runs were in (3 charged to Springer) and the game was tied.
Springer is nothing if not inspirational. Santiago Casilla, in relief of Craig Breslow in the 11th, thought he'd give "being greeted by three straight searing line drives" a whirl, and as a result the A's came to bat in the bottom of the 11th trailing 8-5.
With one out, Giambi singled. Then Nomar singled. Then Adam Kennedy, now a .400 hitter in 50 A's at bats, doubled home one. Then Ryan Sweeney's infield single made it 8-7 with runners at first and third and one out. It took Jack Hannahan one pitch to restore odor to the situation, as he bounced into a game-ending (and spectacularly turned) 6-4-3 DP. Spectacularly turned, with a barehand catch, turn, and throw, by Ryan Roberts, who was only in the game because Felipe Lopez had left earlier with a tight hamstring. Lopez doesn't make that play.
And so here the A's stand at the 1/4 mark, 15-25, having been dealt devastating extra inning losses in 14 innings at New York, 15 innings at Seattle, and having dropped an 11 inning affair tonight in which so many things went right except for the important stuff.
